Everyone loves having a reliable mobile service, but very few of us love seeing excess charges on our bills. It’s fine to budget for the expected, but when you’re constantly racking up excess charges on your phone bill, especially for data usage, sometimes that budget can go flying right out the window, taking the hard-earned contents of your wallet with it.

How bad is the problem of excess data charges? Our research at finder.com.au suggests that in 2016, Australians spent a whopping $146 million on excess data charges. That’s a lot of money being spent in situations where a little prudent usage or careful checking could have saved you money rather than you wasting it. With our appetites for data-heavy services such as video messaging, Netflix streaming and online gaming only intensifying, it’s likely that this figure could rise if Australians don’t get wise and save their mobile data for when it’s really needed.

So how do you best manage your mobile usage to avoid excess charges? In a truly nuclear sense, you could always disable data usage on your smartphone entirely, but that’s a radical step that would limit the usage of your existing plan in frankly unacceptable ways. The thing is, you don’t have to be radical. Just follow these simple tips to get your mobile data usage under control.

1) Work out which apps are gobbling up your data.
Did you know that your phone tracks your mobile data usage by app? For iPhone users, head to Settings>Mobile Data to see which apps are the biggest culprits when it comes to data usage. Android users will find the same information in their Settings app, typically under Mobile Networks and then Data Usage, although this varies a little depending on your handset and Android version. If you find any apps that you don’t use any more eating up your data, uninstall them! For apps that you still want to use, keep an eye on any data spikes and consider limiting their background data usage so that they’re only eating up data when you’re using them.

2) Go offline for apps when you can.
Many Australians are big Netflix fans and it’s not hard to see why. The problem is that data usage on Netflix can easily chew up all of your data. Instead of streaming live while you’re out and about (where you may hit buffering issues anyway if you go into a tunnel or hit a very busy mobile cell tower), consider using Netflix’s offline viewing option to preload episodes of your favourite Netflix Original series before you head out. Competitors Stan and Amazon Prime Video both offer this feature for a wide range of TV shows and movies too.

3) Use public Wi-Fi (but use it smartly).
Loads of shopping centres, cafes and other public attractions now offer free public Wi-Fi to entice patrons through the door. Why not use their free services rather than your paid data? The one caveat here is that you shouldn’t perform any private tasks, such as online banking or sending photos, on such networks because you can never know who else might be snooping on your mobile traffic. The use of a VPN, or at least websites that use HTTPS, is a must if you want to browse privately.

4) Make sure you’re on the right plan!
If you’re always hitting your data limit before the end of the month, instead of paying the extra charges every time, have a look at some higher-tier plans. Yes, you’ll pay more upfront each month, but if you’re always blowing past the cheaper limit and paying loads in excess charges, upgrading your plan could actually work out cheaper in the long run. It’s also worth checking for features that let you simply drop data usage for your plan in your current billing cycle, as well as paying attention to usage alerts when they come through.

CMobile provides a range of mobile plans for seniors. If you’re on a budget, our plans are low cost starting from just $50 per year, keeping you connected for less than $5 per month! See our popular $50 annual plan here. With CMobile, you can choose your mobile network with both Vodafone and Telstra mobile networks offered. One of the best and most consistent pieces of feedback we receive is the outstanding service from our all Australian support team. We know how frustrating it can be to try and communicate with overseas call centres and this is something we strive to change for our customers. Visit our website at www.cmobile.com.au or call us on 1300 545 000 to talk about your mobile needs today!

Mobile plans with “unlimited” national calls and SMS are commonplace in Australia. Most mobile operators offer these plans but it’s important to highlight the differences and hidden catches!

At CMobile, we offer a range of C Red unlimited plans with different data inclusions to cater for all types of users. Our C Red unlimited mobile plans represent some of the best value in Australia starting from just $24.90 a month with 1.5GB of included data. Our full range of C Red unlimited mobile plans are:

All our plans have no lock-in contract and run for a full calendar month, not 28 days like some of our competitors. CMobile plans are post-paid which simply means we send you a bill at the end of the month and then you pay, rather than paying up front with a prepaid plan.

Most prepaid operators offer “unlimited” plans with a 28 day billing period. It might not sound much difference but over a year you will have to pay for your plan 13 times vs 12 with a monthly billing period. The other way to look at it is if we compare a C Red $24.90 plan vs a prepaid $24.90 plan with 28 days expiry. The cost per day on the prepaid plan is $24.90 divided by 28 days = $0.89 per day. If you had a full month with average 30.4 days the cost would actually increase by $2.13 so the equivalent cost would be $24.90 + $2.13 = $27.03! You are not only paying more but also paying up-front for the privilege!

Another thing to be aware of is what types of calls and SMS are actually “unlimited” in your plan. Some operators charge extra for calls not included as “unlimited”. With C Red Unlimited plans, we include all standard national calls, SMS and MMS as well as unlimited international SMS. If you’re with another mobile operator, make sure calls such as 13xx, 1300xx, voicemail and MMS are included as unlimited in your plan. With unlimited international SMS in C Red unlimited plans, it’s a big bonus and can save you lots of money if you like to send SMS to friends overseas.

At CMobile we are always working behind the scenes to improve our customer experience. After some negotiations with our carriers, we are able to announce that we have increased the value of some of our plans, and also implemented some brand new plans.

All plan changes are effective from the 1st of May 2015. If you are already on one of these plans you don’t need to do anything as you will automatically be upgraded on the improved plan with extra value. If you wish to swap plans, please give us a call and we will schedule the change for you. Of course, all of our plans, including the new ones, come with CMobile’s all Australian expert support and personal service!

Improved C Blue plans!

C Blue $19.90 per month plan now includes up to 150 minutes (up from from 133)

C Blue $29.90 per month plan now includes up to 250 minutes (up from from 200)

C Blue $39.90 per month plan now includes up to 350 minutes (up from from 300)

Excess data rates on ALL C Blue plans Down!

If you exceed your data allowance on C Blue plans from May 1 you will pay just 5c per Mb. This is down from 25c per Mb. We have been negotiating this with our carrier for many months and we are very pleased to be able to announce this outcome.

New C Blue $59.90 plan!

To cater for the bigger users, we have launched the C Blue $59.90 per month plan. This plan includes up to 600 minutes talk time and 3Gb of mobile data.

Improved C Red $9.90 plan!

Our bargain C Red $9.90 per month plan now includes up to 100 minutes talk time (up from 66) and also now includes 150Mb of mobile data (up from 100Mb).

New C Red $59.90 Unlimited plan!

For those who need extra data, we are now have the C Red $59.90 per month Unlimited plan. This includes unlimited talk and text, plus a massive 4Gb of mobile data.

CMobile has introduced automated data barring for customers who reach 100% of their monthly data allowance. This means that customers who receive a text alert stating that they have exceeded 100% of their monthly data allowance will have their data service automatically barred until the end of the month, when it will be automatically unbarred.

It is very important to note that this does not guarantee you will never receive excess data charges. CMobile receives call and data records from our carriers overnight in a usage file. This means that the system is not “real time”. Effectively, your data may not be barred until 48 hours after the data session that caused you to reach your monthly allowed limit has occurred. This is not a perfect system, but it certainly limits the time you can use excess data. Data is barred when you receive your 100% data usage notification, not when you hit exactly 100% of your monthly allowance.

FAQsCan I continue using data even though I’ve hit my monthly limit?
Yes. Simply call CMobile Support on 1300 545 000, a free call from your C Mobile, or email support@cmobile.com.au. Our support staff will make sure you understand the excess data charges, and will be happy to unbar your data service.

How do I know if I’m getting close to my data limit?
You will receive data usage alerts via SMS when you have exceeded 50%, 85% and 100% usage. You can also monitor your usage at any time during the month via the “My CMobile” portal on our website. Simply log in with your account number, and the password you chose when you signed up.

Is my voice and SMS going to be barred if I hit my monthly allowance?
No. If you exceed your monthly call and SMS allowance, you are charged at our normal low rates for any excess usage. You will still receive SMS usage alerts at 50%, 85% and 100% of your monthly voice and text allowances, but your voice and text services will not be barred when you hit 100% of your included value.

I am on a C Red PAYG $0 per month plan. How does this affect me?
If you are on the “pay as you go” plan, you do not have a monthly data allowance, so you will not be affected by this. We recommend you monitor your usage via the “My CMobile” portal on our website.

As always, if you have any questions or need help please call or email our support team.

We have seen a number of Apple device users (iPhone/iPad) report that their devices have been “hacked” remotely by an unknown malicious source and locked. A message then appears on the screen stating that the device can be unlocked by paying a US$100 ransom to the attacker via PayPal. The attacker is going by the name Oleg Pliss, and the message reads something like:

There has recently been a couple of high profile attacks where eBay and Adobe passwords have been stolen. People have a tendency to use the same password over and over again. It is likely that these hackers are trying these stolen passwords on multiple platforms, including the Apple one. In this case, the hackers are using the “Find My iPhone” feature to remotely lock the device after hacking in to the iCloud platform via the stolen password. They then change the password, and demand a ransom to unlock the device:

CMobile strongly suggests that you change your iTunes/iCloud password immediately and also make sure it is unique. Also, set up a passcode on your device, so there is a two-stage verification process.

Nitro Circus are currently touring Australia and if you haven’t ever seen a show we highly recommend it! Last Saturday, we went and watched the show and were amazed at the bravery and skill of all the athletes. The tricks and stunts they do are unbelievable and it doesn’t always end well either. Crashes can and will happen when these guys push the boundaries so much! It sure does make for an exciting spectacle not to be missed.

If you’ve had a chance to see a show, you might notice our CMobile advert on the big screen. CMobile are also sponsoring some of the international athletes such as Travis Pastrana, Lyndsey Pastrana, Erik Roner and James Foster just to name a few. We are happy to keep these guys connected to the world with a CMobile SIM while they’re touring around Australia. If you’re interested in catching a show check out www.nitrocircus.com

An email came in to our inbox the other day entitled “5 Things You Didn’t Know Your Mobile Could Do!”. It’s also been going around facebook if you haven’t seen it already.

As we read through, it became clear that it was a mixture of truth, exaggeration and plain fantasy. Following on from that, we thought we’d share with you the facts on some of the claims regarding mobile phones circulating the internet:

1. Dial 112 – it is the world-wide emergency number for mobiles
This is mainly TRUE. It is not “world-wide” but certainly operates in most countries around the world including Australia. Dialling 112 will connect you to the 000 emergency line from your mobile. It is also true that 112 will work without a SIM in Australia. It is also true that the phone will pick up ANY network that is available when you dial an emergency number, not just your own provider’s network. The important thing to remember here is that dialling 000 WILL WORK EXACTLY THE SAME WAY in Australia, so no need to remember 112 unless you’re travelling.

2. Unlock your car with your mobile phone if you’ve forgotten your car key remote
If you lock your keys in your car, you can unlock it by getting someone at home to call you on your mobile. They then press the unlock button on your spare key into their receiver. You point the mobile phone at the car and it unlocks. Err no. Completely FALSE. Keyless entry systems operate on an encrypted radio signal, which cannot be transmitted by a mobile phone over a voice channel. Call your road-side service provider, or get someone to drop your spare keys to you.

3. Hidden battery power
Hidden battery power is unlocked by pressing *3370#. Press this when your battery is about to run out to get up to a 30% increase in your remaining battery power.
FALSE! One of the bugbears of modern smartphones is the battery life. Bigger screen sizes and more processing power equals more power required to run them. Manufacturers are constantly trying to find ways to improve battery life, just to keep up with the technological advances of the phone. Do you really think they are holding out on us to the tune of 30% of the battery life?

4. Blocking your mobile phone if stolen or lost
Dial *#6# and a 15 digit code will come up. Keep a note of it and if your phone gets stolen, advise the carrier and they can stop it from being used.
TRUE. Dialling this code will display your phone’s IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number. It is effectively your phone’s unique serial number. Your carrier has the ability to block your handset if it is stolen and quoting this number to your provider will enable them to do so. In Australia, there is agreement between carriers so that phones are blocked on all networks if reported stolen. It doesn’t get your phone back, but makes it only useful as a paperweight for the thief.

5. Using your phone while refuelling your car can cause an explosion
This seems to be one of those things that just started circulating 10 years ago, and has never really been challenged. There has never been a single documented case of a mobile phone causing a petrol pump fire or explosion, only urban legends. This myth is FALSE. The battery in your phone is the same voltage as a car battery, but with far less current. It is therefore wrong to assume the battery is the cause. Radio frequency EME (electromagnetic energy) cannot spark a petrol fire, or any other type of fire for that matter. The stickers on our petrol pumps look impressive, but in reality, they are protecting us from a danger that doesn’t exist!

If you have any more mobile myths you want proven or disproven, add a comment below, and we’ll investigate. Alternatively, email us at support@cmobile.com.au, or let us know on Facebook.